Sheltered by Moonbeams
by Skylanthus
Summary: An ancient relic that nearly destroyed Wizard Kind in the Age of Camelot has reawakened and found its way into the hands of an innocent young girl. Given the chance, will it repeat its bloody history or will it be chained to the forces of good? r/r
1. Pulsing to Shore

Disclaimer: If I was the genius that is J.K Rowling I would most assuredly not be sitting here typing this story up but rather typing up the fifth, sixth, and seventh book. And as I'm typing up fan fiction, you can now tell that I'm just a poor high schooler with no time on her hands and you can call off the lawyers.unless they're cute.  
  
Authors Note: Yeah, I know I have two other stories that are demanding to be written but I can only write as the Plot Bunnies demand me too, I can promise everyone that reads my other stories that they will be updated by the end of this month for I have finals looming around the corner.  
  
~*~ The jumping and jarring of the four person carriage jolted Ginny Weasley out of the sleep-like trance she had slipped into on the Hogwarts Express. Blinking rapidly to accustom to the new surroundings, she stared at the scenery like a prisoner just released from solitary and allowed in the outside world. The passing shadows of trees dusted by twilight and the glinting reflection of moonbeams off the lakes surface drew her attention back into the reality of the world. Ever since the week before the start of school she had been falling in and out of dazes. She didn't know why but felt it had something to do with the visit to Charlie last summer.  
  
Like in her second year at Hogwarts she had gone with her family on another vacation, this time to visit her brother Charlie down in Romania. He had finally found someone to tolerate his all consuming love for dragons and had held his wedding outdoors by a nest of baby Hungarian Horntails that had come in for study. During the procession her attention had been focused on the small, if you could call any dragon small, group of nestlings that were curled up and sleeping. Little spurts of smoke puffed out of their nostrils and occasionally one would yawn and send a jet of flame onto another's tail.  
  
"Welcome back Sleeping Beauty," a familiar voice teased from across the seats, flowing through the night like crystal in the cold air. Ginny snapped her gaze from outside and turned to the sound like a startled deer, her eyes fixating almost wildly onto the speaker. Eternal seconds passed as her mind raced to establish identity. A jolt of adrenaline coursed through her veins to help her get over the fact that there was someone else in the carriage. As shy as she was, she had never gotten used to sleeping around others and the suddenness of a new voice had unnerved her.  
  
The jumble of blond hair and violet eyes slowly melded into one recognizable person, a fellow Gryffindor girl in Ginny's year. Named Senna, she was one of a few people who Ginny counted as friends. Living with six brothers had somewhat isolated her from the social world of girls and she had much to learn when she first came to Hogwarts.  
  
"Ginny?" Senna asked tentatively, her eyes searching the other girl's face for a signal.  
  
Like lightning from Zeus's hand the drowsiness left her body and alertness filled it to the brim. Another rapid blinking session got rid of the haze clouding her vision and she refocused her gaze on her companion. "Sorry, I'm always like this right before school, what were you saying?"  
  
Shaking her head, Senna dismissed her friends odd behavior, "Did you get any sleep last night Ginny? You zonked out on the train and then sleep- walked into this carriage."  
  
"Must not have," Ginny released a yawn and turned back to the window. "I think it's the thought that Fred and George won't be here this year. I was so used to them and now, there's no more pranks at 1:00 a.m. anymore."  
  
"I'll bet five galleons that Professor McGonagall will be relieved at that." Senna chuckled, "they were the bane of her existence, weren't they?"  
  
Ginny grinned and shook her head. "Actually, at Charlie's Reception, he got married this summer, I saw her and the twins laughing hysterically at one of their latest products." Ginny thought back to the day and a soft giggle escaped her lips. "maybe she was just like that when they were at school. You know how strict she is."  
  
"Yeah, Professor McRepressed and Neurotic comes to mind when we speak of her." Senna muttered and the two launched into a discussion about their professors until the carriages sudden halt flung them out of their seats and almost onto the floor. "Think we're here?"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Ginny got to her feet and went to the door, opening it and stepping outside into the frosted fall night. Above her millions and millions of starts twinkled from the heavens, light years above them, shining their light onto the dozens of students clambering out of carriages and making their way up into the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. The moon was rising over the trees of the Dark Forest and Ginny stopped and savored the cool light as it coursed past her, tickling her skin as it passed.  
  
"You coming?" Senna called from the top steps, looking back at her and clutching her cloak around her shoulders, her breath making clouds in the air. Already her cheeks were red and from Ginny's standpoint her teeth were also beginning to chatter.  
  
"Yeah,"  
  
The change in temperature as the pair hurried into the Entrance Hall was a relief as blood returned to frozen fingertips and heat filtered slowly through clothing and onto skin. Ahead of them, groups of students were meeting with friends and making their way into the Great Hall on the right, where the cheerful sounds of laughter and childish chatter weaved out. Above them, near the high-beamed ceiling, were a few ghosts talking among themselves and pointing down at several students below. Ginny spotted the Hufflepuff ghost and the Gryffindor ghost before Senna tugged her into the Great Hall.  
  
"Let's get good seats near the front this year, okay?" Senna explained as she pushed her way to the head of the hall, battering smaller kids as she went past, Ginny apologizing in her wake. At the head, they quickly claimed seat and did a customary glance up to the High Table, checking out the staff and praying that this was the year that Severus Snape, the ill- mannered and nasty Potions Master, had decided to retire.  
  
Unfortunately that wish wasn't granted. But several seats were empty and the two pondered on who had left. To Dumbledore's right was an empty chair, but they both knew that McGonagall was currently introducing the new first years to Hogwarts. To her right and to Snape's left was another empty seat.a curiosity to both of them. And to Snape's right was a final empty seat.  
  
"Wonder who's gone?" Ginny muttered, sitting down and turning around to look at the doors.  
  
"We have a new DADA professor again," Senna returned with a small sigh. "I don't think we'll ever get a professor who lasts for more than a year."  
  
"Who's the other seat for, then?"  
  
"Don't know, but we'll find out soon enough.just as long as they bring out the food, I really don't care." Senna then giggled and nudged Ginny with her elbow. "Don't look now but your boyfriend is at three o'clock."  
  
"What?" Ginny turned, and then smacked Senna as Harry Potter came into view, herded on both sides by Hermione Granger and Ginny's brother, Ron Weasley. "Harry is *not* my boyfriend!"  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"He's not!" Ginny blew a breath and looked at Harry again, her normal swooning sensation at seeing his emerald eyes subdued somewhat. Maybe it was because she had gotten no sleep the night before or maybe it was because she had finally gotten over her crush, but whatever the reason, she shrugged it off and simply waved at the approaching trio.  
  
"No simpering?" teased Senna as the three sat down not far from them. "No batting of the eyelashes or reddening of the cheeks?"  
  
"Shut up Senna."  
  
Soon the closing of the double doors shushed the entire school as they waited for them to reopen and let the line of first years fall in leaded by McGonagall. "My sister starts this year,"  
  
Ginny turned to Senna and smiled. "Let's hope she gets Gryffindor then."  
  
The doors opened not long after and, sure enough, Professor Minerva McGonagall was leading a long line of timid first years, her tall black hat crooked to one side. In her hand was a long scroll, holding the names of all the first years. She wound her way to the steps and then gestured for the students to stand along the bottom of the stairs, facing the staff. Ginny craned her neck to see if she could spot Senna's sister. McGonagall told the first years what was expected of them when she called their names and then unrolled the scroll.  
  
"Bolton, Darien!" she barked, and a scared scrawny boy clambered up the stairs and onto the stool, cringing somewhat as McGonagall lowered the sorting head onto his head. The boy sat there a moment until a brim in the hat opened up and it called out "HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
Several other students came up to the hat and went to their houses until "Trivanna, Kirisa!"  
  
A girl who resembled Senna greatly smoothly walked up to sit on the stool and waited patiently for the hat to name where she was going.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"What?!" Senna gasped and her sister, shaking, got up from the stool and slowly went to the Slytherin table. "That can't be---the hat made a mistake!"  
  
Ginny frowned in sympathy and tuned out the rest of the Sorting, the sleep that had claimed her on the train ride creeping back into her blood. Senna's occasional outbursts faded into the background noise. She looked to the ceiling and spotted several constellations that stood out, then she glanced at Harry who was talking with one of the new Gryffindors. The rest of the Sorting seemed to pass and melt into a blur until Dumbledore clapped his hands, her sleep disappearing for the second time that night. She looked up to him as he rose and beamed at all of them.  
  
"Welcome to another year of Hogwarts!" he greeted, "I have a few announcements like every year. First and foremost, the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden," his eyes fell onto the Gryffindor table at this and a few kids laughed. "magic is not to be used in the corridors and we have two new Professors."  
  
The doors to the Great hall opened for the second time and two figures walked into view, with identical smirks on their faces. The taller one had ebony hair twisted into a braid that fell over her shoulder. She wore robes of white with an intricate black design twisting over the fabric. Her eyes were a startling shade of amber and they roamed over the student body, observing them and judging them. The smaller one wasn't looking at the students, rather her gaze was locked with Professor McGonagall's and Ginny could feel an uneasy tension grow. Her robes were silver trimmed with gold and her copper hair was pulled into a low bun, a few tendrils flowing around her face. Her eyes were just as weird as her companions, a mix of silver and blue. Walking in step they went to the Staff table and stood behind their seats, the taller one on Snape's right and the redhead between McGonagall and Snape.  
  
Dumbledore nodded to them, and then gestured to each in turn. "I'd like to introduce Professor Aithra Cuaitius as the new Ancient Runes professor and Professor Neo Novus as your new Defense against the Dark Arts professor."  
  
The two said hello and sat down, Professor Cuaitius instantly getting bombarded with questions from McGonagall, she said something in return and pulled McGonagall into a warm hug. Ginny nudged Senna and pointed, "Wonder what that's all about."  
  
~*~ Up at the High table, Professor McGonagall relinquished the new professor from the hug and narrowed her gaze at her, peering over the top of her glasses. "There's been no word since you graduated. And that was--"  
  
"Over twenty years ago, I know Mother." Aithra waved aside the conversation and shrugged. "I was busy, I'm sorry."  
  
"Too busy to remain in contact with your own mother?" Minerva frowned.  
  
"I said I'm sorry, all right?"  
  
Minerva made to speak again when Dumbledore placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Minerva.let's save the family reunion for after dinner, shall we?" he coughed to regain attention to himself and then smiled. "Let the feast begin!"  
  
A banquet appeared before them and Aithra couldn't help but break into a smile. "I've forgotten about this."  
  
Leaning back to spot her, Hooch whistled from behind Neo and Snape and waved. "How was Greece?"  
  
Neo took up this answer, "Lovely, you would have loved the flying weather last season, Madame Hooch."  
  
"Xiaomara, Neo, we're equals now."  
  
"Yes, Madame Hooch," Neo winked and placed food onto her plate.  
  
"How was teaching, Aithra?" Dumbledore asked, taking a sip of his wine and looking at her. "I heard that you received commendation down in Greece for research in Transfiguration.double Animagi forms?"  
  
Aithra nodded, and then smiled at Minerva, patting her arm. "You were an excellent teacher."  
  
"Well, congratulations on getting that award. Even though I should have known if a certain daughter would write."  
  
"Mom."  
  
"No, do go on, I enjoy the occasional family squabble while I eat dinner." Snape commented snidely from Aithra's left. She turned and gave him a cold glare before going back to her food. "Well?"  
  
"Quiet, Severus," Minerva snapped. "How are things down in Greece?"  
  
Aithra took a bite of her meal before responding, exchanging a glance with Neo. "The Committee of researchers we worked with are currently trying to develop a time-turner that will allow us to go back into the Grecian age to retrieve the works of Homer before the Christians get to it."  
  
"We found out the cause of the fire," Neo added, "seems like a young wizard in training had gotten scared at the encroaching army and simply backfired an Incendio spell," she laughed lightly before continuing. "poor kid, he never got over that."  
  
"What did you two teach?"  
  
"Aithra there taught Transfigurations while I worked on curses and counter curses. If your Minister of Magic wasn't such a coward and blubbering idiot, he'd see the good in researching the Dark Arts."  
  
"And why would anyone want to study the Dark Arts Professor Novus?" Snape spat, turning to her with a hard expression. "Do you fools down in the Mediterranean not realize that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back and more deadly than ever?"  
  
"Of course we know that." her voice was low and held a tone of bitterness. "The fact that mine and Aithra's husband were killed not even four months ago reminds us all too clearly that the Dark Lord is back in town." Snape made to comment and she held up a hand. "But I was merely stating that learning about the very thing that you're fighting against can help immensely in destroying it."  
  
"So.double Animagi forms?" Hooch broke in, disrupting the argument before it could get off the ground. "Is that even possible?"  
  
Aithra and Neo smiled at her, Aithra for acknowledgement of her work and Neo for stopping an unwanted fight. "It's a rare case. The wizard or witch in question has to be excellent in Charms and Transfiguration, be able to sustain the energy that occurs during the change and even then retain that form while their first form fights to become the dominate figure."  
  
"Speaking of Transfiguration, I'm going to start an Animagi group for our sixth and seventh year students, I'd love help Aithra."  
  
"Sure thing Prof--I mean Min.Mother."  
  
~*~ With dinner under their belts, the students and teachers scattered after the parting notes of Dumbledore. Ginny followed Senna over to the Slytherin table, where they met up with her sister. Senna was worried and by the look on Kirisa's face, she wasn't too happy either.  
  
"What happened? Did the hat do wrong?" Senna asked as soon as Kirisa had noticed them and was in earshot. "I--I don't know."  
  
"You can't be a Slytherin! None of our family was Slytherin!"  
  
"I know.I'm sorry--"  
  
"Oh I'll personally see to it that she's not harmed," drawled a cool, amused voice from behind the two and they spun to send identical glares at Draco Malfoy, who was smirking at them, arms folded and eyes focused on Kirisa.  
  
"You lay one hand on my sister, Malfoy, and I'll have your ass." Senna warned, her Scottish lilt breaking through her words. "I swear or I'll--"  
  
"You'll what?" Malfoy laughed at her expression. "As I thought. You'll do nothing. Besides, your sister's a Slytherin now, like it or not, and that means she's in my care now. We take care of our own. Come on Kirisa, I'll show you to your commons."  
  
"All right.bye Sis."  
  
Malfoy called out to the first years to gather around him, and with a last smirk to the two, he started for the door. Senna waited for the group to leave before letting off a scream and kicking a bench. "Damn him!"  
  
~*~*~ (A/N):Well, there's the first chapter. I can assure and promise that the following will be much longer. This was about seven pages and the other few I have written are touching the ten page mark. Romance is not in this chapter, nor will it be in the second but by the third the several main relationships will start to be unveiled. 


	2. Crashing onto the rocks

Disclaimer: Let's see..not mine though I wish they were. However, everything that seems new and bizarre to you are creations of my own little mind and I take all credit for them.  
  
~*~  
  
The walk from the Great Hall to Gryffindor tower was unlike the past walks the last four years. The mood had taken a sour nosedive after Malfoy had ushered the Slytherin first-years away from Senna and Ginny into the dungeons. The high energy giggling that had filled Senna at the banquet had stopped, Senna was now sullen and mute, not talking with anyone. Even Ginny's several attempts were cut short as they left the safety of her lips. So now the pair walked slowly up the many flights of stairs, ignoring the paintings and fellow students that passed them by.  
  
At the second floor, Ginny spotted a Gryffindor prefect and asked for the password.  
  
"Mellon," the girl answered, smiling briefly before rushing past to the open Charms door, there must have been a prefect meeting occurring. Ginny went back to Senna, who had perched her arms on the rails and stared gloomily down below.  
  
Personally, Ginny didn't see the major problem with Kirisa being in Slytherin. Even though the house had a bad reputation, she knew a few decent Slytherins and she couldn't get why it came as a traumatic shock to Senna. She wisely kept her thoughts to herself as they continued upward, for not long after Senna broke into a long winded rant and fussed about everything from Muggle hatred of Wizard-kind to the nasty pranks her sister was going to be subjected to.  
  
"We're a proud wizarding family and we've never had anyone placed into Slytherin. She's a disgrace to our name.I can't believe she'd do that!"  
  
"It wasn't her fault, the hat places us where it sees fit." Ginny reasoned. "She's not a disgrace-"  
  
"Easy for you to say, your sibling did not just ruin your family name! For the past sixteen generations my family has been in either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, the two finest houses that Hogwarts has to offer and now Kirisa goes and does this!" Senna spat, pushing past Ginny and stomping upstairs. "I need to tell Mother."  
  
Ginny was left standing there, her arms at her side, and her face tilted upwards in the well known 'why me' expression. She stood like that for a good two minutes, not moving for anyone until she decided that it was time to get to the common room and to bed. "It's only a house."  
  
Upstairs, she smiled in passing at the Fat Lady before speaking the password. Stepping inside the Gryffindor common room, she felt as if she was returning to a second home, the fireplace with the half dozen bodies squished around it in the few armchairs, and the three or four people hanging in the lounge couches by the window gave her a sudden sense of serenity and happiness, causing her to momentarily forget Senna's outburst on the Grand Staircase a few minutes back.  
  
"Ginny!" a heart-stopping voice called from behind her and she did a sudden primping of her hair, flattening and smoothing out the strands to make sure they were just perfect when she turned around, a small blush hinting at her cheeks. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure Harry, um, how was summer?"  
  
Harry Potter slowed as he neared her and shook his head with a wry smile. "The same as every summer since I came back from Hogwarts. The Dursleys' hate me and I hate them, nothing else has changed..well, Dudley did lose some weight," he trailed off with a laugh, and then sobered. "What I wanted to ask you was if Senna was all right?"  
  
Oh, that figures, Senna gets the male attention. I had forgotten about that, Ginny hissed mentally, trying not to show any outward signs of displeasure. "I think she's upset about her sister's house placement."  
  
"Oh, Kirisa being put into Slytherin? Yeah, that would kill her. I remember last year she went on and on about her family's legacy here." folding his arms and shifting his weight to one foot, he drifted back into a memory that Ginny was not privy too before shaking it off and throwing her another dazzling smile. "Well, if she needs anything, just tell her I'm here, okay?"  
  
"Sure Harry," Ginny mumbled, watching him leave to join up with Hermione and Ron who had just got inside the portrait hole. "By the way, my summer wasn't all too bad. I got my first broomstick as an early birthday present, a Nimbus 2000, Dad got it for me after getting his promotion. Let's see, what else? I dreamt about you half the time, I wrote you a couple letters as well, did you get them I--"  
  
"What on Earth are you rambling about?" a hand fell onto her shoulder as weight shifted from the last stair step and onto the floor beside Ginny. She didn't turn as Senna wrapped the arm around her and led her over to fall onto a couch, scooting over to still let Neville Longbottom read his magazine. "Hey Neville,"  
  
"Hello Senna, hello Ginny," the friendliness of his smile drew Ginny out of the anger well she had fallen into and she turned to Senna calmly, her eyes carefully concealed by a curtain of burnished hair, lit from the side by the crackling fire, giving golden highlights to hair that was already the shade of the sunset. Inside, her mind twisted and churned over the idea that Senna had done one of the most unspeakable acts that a best friend could ever do: she might have stolen the guy of Ginny's dreams right out from under her nose!  
  
"What?" Senna asked, her words just as calm as Ginny knew she seemed. "Is there something on my face?" "No, Senna, it's just--"  
  
"Senna! There you are, I was worried when you stormed in here earlier." Harry beamed and leaned over the back of the couch, curling an arm around Senna's shoulder and tilting her head back to land a kiss on her nose. "Everything all right?"  
  
"Everything's fine, I was just, uh, flustered at my sis's house."  
  
"Slytherin right? That's too bad, she seemed like a Ravenclaw when I came over in August."  
  
Ginny's eyes had widened when Harry came over but now her jaw dropped and the defenses that shielded her feelings crashed down alongside it. "He stayed over?!"  
  
Senna nodded, looking at Harry and then turned to her, "Well, yeah, the week after you.left." the look in Ginny's eyes had just clicked as she shook off Harry's arm and reached to grab Ginny's hand. "Ginny."  
  
"What?" she snapped, tearing her hand away and standing up, knocking into Neville. "sorry Neville."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"Ginny, wait, okay?"  
  
"No," she backed up around the couch and then shuffled to the staircase, reaching out to the arch frame for support as she sent one last glare at Senna and Harry before running up the circular stairs and slamming the door of her dorm.  
  
Harry slowly tore his gaze away from the now empty staircase and to Senna, who was chewing her bottom lip nervously, her face whiter than normal. "What did I do?"  
  
"It's not what you did, excuse me. Ginny!" she cried, leaping up and on the stairs, taking them two at a time.  
  
Harry then turned to Neville, who was glaring at him the exact same way Ginny had and he threw up his arms in exasperation and shot the glare back. "What did I do?!"  
  
Neville sniffed highly and marked his book, standing up and tossing the novel onto the side table. "For having the reputation of being such a nice guy Harry, you can be such a jackass at times." he then spun on his heel and marched up the stairs. Harry followed his leaving with his eyes and then turned around himself, face to face with Ron and Hermione. Thankfully neither were glaring, Ron had a look of bewilderment that most likely matched Harry's own and the judgmental look Hermione was giving him sent him back to the day when Professor McGonagall had stared him and Ron down as they tried to explain why a car had crashed into the Whomping Willow.  
  
"What did he mean?"  
  
"Boys!" Hermione scoffed, walking up and pushing a finger into Harry's chest. "Ginny Weasley has been in love with you *ever since* you saved her life her first year. You just shattered all her dreams and ripped apart her heart by watching you kiss her, let's see, 'best friend' right in front of her," she paused and then sighed sadly. "Could you be any more blunt?" she stepped back and then walked past, following Senna and Ginny.  
  
Harry then looked back to Ron. "Did you know?"  
  
"Well, I knew she had a crush on you, sure, but that she loved you?" Ron shrugged, "Nah. Besides, I kind of always tune her out when she launches into one of her speeches about you and your virtues." he stopped and then gestured to the stairs, "e need to get ready for bed, come on Harry. You can worry about her tomorrow, it's no big deal."  
  
"Yeah, you're right." but as Harry passed the fifth year girl's dorms, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.  
  
~*~  
  
"You didn't have to walk me, I do know the way to the Staff Commons, Mother."  
  
"Yes, well, having not spoken to or seen you in over twenty years, I'm enjoying this time." McGonagall retorted primly, her arm tucked in Aithra's arm. She rounded the corner and smiled pleasantly at Flitwick, who was making his patrols for the night.  
  
"Hello Minerva, hello Aithra."  
  
"Good Evening Filius,"  
  
"Hello Professor." Aithra nodded politely.  
  
"Filius, please, you're one of us now!"  
  
"May the Gods have mercy on us," McGonagall chuckled and patted her daughters arm.  
  
"Um, sure Professor. I'll think of that."  
  
"Still the innocent Head Girl I remember, I see. Very well, take care ladies!" he waved and then scurried off, humming a tune. Aithra watched him go, a quirk of amusement passing over her lips.  
  
McGonagall also saw off his leaving, a raised eyebrow was her expression in lieu of amusement. "Innocent? I wonder who he's talking about."  
  
"And I love you too Mother," Aithra tugged and the two continue walking, falling into chatter about old times and memories.  
  
Reaching the staff common room, McGonagall showed the younger Professor her second balcony room and as Aithra checked out the back two rooms, she slid into a red armchair and waited for her daughter to return. The room was like all the other Professor's, a large sitting room with a well-sized fireplace and a message mirror hanging on the far wall, near the balcony leading off the South Tower where she knew a pair of sitting chairs and hanging ivy awaited the owner. To her right was a small storage space and where Aithra had wandered off to was the hallway leading to the bathroom and bedroom.  
  
She didn't see Aithra return so the hand falling onto her shoulder came as a small shock before Aithra dipped her head down into view over the chair. "Reminds me of your room, just smaller."  
  
"Well, I am the Deputy Headmistress."  
  
"And Dumbledore is the headmaster and the Gods knows he lavishes on the women in his life."  
  
"Aithra.your father isn't--"  
  
"I know. I'm sorry, it's just that." she trailed off, kneeling by the armchair and rolling her neck side to side, relieving tension that had built up. "I'm sorry."  
  
"As you should be. And speaking of your father," McGonagall's gaze flew from her daughters downcast face to the rising full moon, wincing as she pictured Remus Lupin, not far into the Dark Forest howling in pain as the curse of the Werewolf overtook him. She could even imagine the expression that would blossom onto his features as the transformation commenced. She quickly drew her mind away from that trail and mentally composed herself. "There must be another reason why Albus sent you here. There were at least four other candidates applying for your position and you held a board seat and a well paying job down in Greece."  
  
"Can't I move closer back to my family?"  
  
"Aithra, I'm going to bring up that I did not even know you were *married* until a few months after the wedding, and that was by reading a foreign newspaper." her point made, she folded her arms and stared down at her child like she would at a misbehaving third year.  
  
"We eloped. It's hard to send out owls when he's asking you to marry him one minute and two hours later you're standing before Aphrodite and Eros and being blessed with happiness and eternal love!" she stood up again and turned the glare back on McGonagall. "I didn't even have time to realize that I was engaged!"  
  
"Don't get scrappy with me young lady."  
  
"I am not getting 'scrappy', I'm just tired of you questioning every single thing I do and I'm sick of it. So what if Daddy wanted me back here? At least he wrote to me, unlike my darling mother. How can you expect me to even think of writing when I believe you haven't gotten off your High Horse about me not complying with everything you want me to do. For the Gods sake, I am not that little eight year old girl anymore, Mother! You do not control my life."  
  
McGonagall's eyes flashed from their normal stormy gray to a dark black and back again as she quietly moved out of the armchair and towards the door, opening it with a flick of her wand. "When you.and I have calmed down, we'll take another try at this conversation, all right?" without waiting for an answer, she left, closing the door softly but firmly enough to knock a stab of hurt into Aithra.  
  
"Sure, run away like every single time," she grumbled resentfully, stalking over to the mirror and peering into its depths. "Daddy, please."  
  
The shades of gray and white swirled around, gaining color and life until it was a face that stared back at her, a face with twinkling blue eyes and long silver hair. Behind him, his office blurred and came into focus with her just being able to see Fawkes pecking at the Sorting Hat who made rude comments in return.  
  
"Aithra, what can I do for you?"  
  
"She wants to know why I'm here. What should I say?"  
  
Albus Dumbledore smiled parentally at his only daughter and shrugged his shoulders slowly. "I can't tell you what you can and cannot say, I haven't been able to have that ability since the time you said your first word "Quidditch""  
  
"Yes, but do I tell you *why* I'm here. You and the Officials at my board said that the fewer the people who know, the better the assuredness of the Runes' location are. All we need is for something to slip to Voldemort and we're all dead."  
  
"Your mother will not let anything you say get to Voldemort."  
  
"I know that, but still." she took a breath and a step away from the mirror, trying to find ways to word her chaotic thoughts. "Do I? Those runes corrupted Merlin, bringing on the downfall of Wizard Kind, they corrupted the Chameleon Lord of 956 a.d, they destroyed Salazar Slytherin and--"  
  
"They will be found and properly contained for their powers," a knock on a door suddenly echoed through Dumbledore's office and he turned, giving the person a affectionate smile before turning back to Aithra. "Will we be able to continue this conversation some other time? Your Mother's here and by the looks of it, she's about as cheerful as you feel."  
  
"Oh, well, I'll talk with you later. Good night, Daddy."  
  
~*~*~ 


End file.
